Chapter 48 Proposal.

He Susu got up early, washed up, went back to her room, changed into a light blue short-sleeved shirt and black trousers. Her long hair was draped over her shoulders and she put on a blue headband, looking fresh and bright.

She walked to the dining table and sat down, only to find that her sister-in-law had specially cooked red eggs for her.

Su Yu smiled and said, "Today is your birthday. In the past, your mother cooked red eggs for you every year in your hometown. You can't not have them when you are in the army. Happy birthday, little sister."

She didn't know her younger sister's birthday before, and only found out last night when her husband reminded her. Lianzhou told her to cook a red egg for her younger sister for breakfast today.

The aunt and sister-in-law have been getting along very well recently, so Su Yu is naturally willing to give them this simple blessing.

He Susu smiled and said, "Thank you, Third Sister-in-law."

After drinking a glass of water, she took out the red egg, cracked it, peeled the eggshell and started eating.

Then we ate some corn dumplings. My sister-in-law made some garlic sauce a few days ago, and we scooped some of it and spread it on the corn dumplings. It tasted quite delicious.

After dinner, He Susu went to the desk in her room, picked up the watch that Cheng Shi bought for her, put it on her fair left wrist, and then went to the entrance of the living room to change into a pair of simple black leather shoes.

Su Yu explained: "You didn't eat at home at noon, so I didn't cook you a bowl of noodles. If you go to the state-owned restaurant and see that they serve noodles, just order a bowl to have a good omen."

In previous years, in addition to cooking a red egg for her in the morning, her mother would also find a way to exchange for rare Fuqiang flour, roll noodles at home, and cook a bowl of longevity noodles for her.

He Susu's only expectation on her birthday was probably this bowl of longevity noodles. She didn't think much about it on weekdays, but she would be very happy if she could eat the longevity noodles cooked by her mother on this day.

She smiled and nodded: "Sister-in-law, I know, don't worry."

"Then I'll go downstairs first. Goodbye, sister-in-law." He Susu looked at her watch and saw that the clock was approaching nine o'clock. She said goodbye and went downstairs. As soon as she walked downstairs, Cheng Shi drove over.

"Susu, get in the car." He got out of the car and walked around to the other side to open the door for He Susu.

He Susu got in the car and sat down. Cheng Shi went back to the driver's seat, got in and sat down, closed the door, turned the steering wheel and drove off.

He Susu couldn't help but ask, "Is it okay for you to borrow the car so often?"

Cheng Shi smiled calmly, "It's okay. I always borrow the car when Li Yang is resting, so as not to delay his driving to perform tasks. I will also subsidize the fuel costs every time, so as not to take advantage of the public. Don't worry."

There was no way. Every time he had a rare break and could take Susu to the county town for shopping, he could not catch up with the ten-day anniversary bus that took people to the county town from the staff quarters.

He Susu heaved a sigh of relief when she heard this: "That's good."

The two chatted as the car drove into the county town. Cheng Shi drove to the spot where he parked last time and parked the car. The two got out of the car and planned to go to the movies first, just like before.

Fortunately, a new red movie was released in the cinema. He Susu was not very interested in the previous ones, so she simply chose this new movie.

Cheng Shi paid the bill promptly, and the two of them walked into the corresponding screening room, found a good seat in the middle, sat down, and started watching the movie.

An hour or two passed quickly, and Cheng Shi took He Susu out of the cinema and went straight to the state-owned restaurant to find something to eat.

They came early and were the first customers of the day at the state-owned restaurant. On the blackboard were written today's offerings: wonton noodles, preserved vegetable meat pie, salt-baked chicken, and stir-fried choy sum.

Wonton noodles are also noodles. Since she happened to come across them, He Susu simply ordered them: "I'll have a bowl of wonton noodles."

Cheng Shi nodded: "Okay, I'll also have a bowl of wonton noodles, a side of preserved vegetable meat pie, and a side of stir-fried choy sum."

He Susu agreed, and Cheng Shi immediately told the staff what dishes he wanted to order and paid for the ticket.

After finding a table with an electric fan and sitting down, He Susu said with a smile, "Every time we come here, the food in the state-owned restaurants we come across is pretty good. We are really lucky."

Cheng Shi also thought: "Indeed, ordinary meat dishes are fine, but this wonton noodle is rare. It is made of Fuqiang flour and has fresh meat. It is very popular."

As they sat there, they heard customers coming in one after another, and almost every one of them ordered wonton noodles.

If you come a little later and want to eat wonton noodles, you will only get an impatient reply from the staff: "The wonton noodles are gone a long time ago, come earlier next time."

He Susu smiled secretly and said, "Fortunately we came early."

Cheng Shi looked at her, attracted by the clever and cunning look in her watery almond eyes. His heart moved slightly, filled with tenderness.

Soon he heard the staff calling out the names of the dishes, and Cheng Shi went to bring them over and filled the table.

He Susu looked at the bowl of wonton noodles in front of her. The meat wontons with paper-thin skin were floating in the thick, slightly sauce-colored noodle soup. When she gently scooped with a spoon, the thin noodles that had sunk to the bottom of the bowl also came out.

She scooped up a wonton first. The wonton skin was soft and the pure meat stuffing inside was salty and fragrant. She then picked up some noodles with chopsticks. Although the noodles were relatively thin, they tasted chewy and full of noodle fragrance.

He Susu couldn't help but praise: "This bowl of wonton noodles tastes good."

"It's really good." Cheng Shi nodded in agreement. The wontons were small, so he basically ate one in one mouthful, and then slurped up a handful of noodles, which was very satisfying.

He Susu ate two wontons and a lot of noodles in a row before she picked up a piece of preserved vegetable and pork pie with her chopsticks.

The salty and sweet taste of preserved vegetables and the fragrance of meat filling are mixed together, and some juice will come out when bitten, which is very delicious. The stir-fried choy sum is sweet and refreshing, and it is fried with a few lard residues to give it a meaty aroma. It is very shiny and crispy when eaten.

The meal was so delicious that He Susu finished a bowl of wonton noodles, and also ate a lot of preserved vegetable meat pie and stir-fried choy sum. Cheng Shi finished eating the rest.

He Susu asked him, "Are you full? Don't be hungry."

Cheng Shi nodded: "That's enough, this amount is just right."

The two men sat and talked for a while, and when they saw the next customer come in and couldn't find a place to sit, they got up and left.

Cheng Shi suggested: "How about we go to the department store and see if there is anything we want to buy."

He Susu shook her head: "No, the things sold in the department store are all the same. I just bought a hair band when I came to the county town with my sister-in-law last time. I don't want to go again."

Cheng Shi remembered what his comrades had said before, that there was a Friendship Park in the county town with nice scenery, so he simply said, "Why don't we go for a walk in the Friendship Park? There are many trees planted there, and it won't be too hot with the shade."

He Susu had never been to this park before, so she became interested and nodded in agreement.

Cheng Shi asked someone for directions and took Susu to Friendship Park.

Friendship Park is located in the east of the county town. It is not big but not small either. It is paved with cement roads and is very flat. There are stone benches placed around it for people to sit and rest. There are many willow trees planted here, and the branches are full of green leaves. Looking at it in the hot summer makes you feel a lot more clear-headed, and it can also provide shade for passers-by.

He Susu let Cheng Shi hold her hand and walk forward. It was rare that the wind here was not so strong. After walking for a while, they found that there was a small pond with lotus flowers floating on the water, which was very beautiful.

She walked closer and took a look. "These lotus flowers are growing beautifully. They are said to be beautiful in summer. They are indeed beautiful. The wind is probably blowing through this pond, so it is not so hot."

Cheng Shi observed and said: "The water in this pond is running water, no wonder it can grow lotus flowers. It happens to be located in the park and is also a scenic spot."

The two of them admired the lotus flowers for a while, then found a stone chair to sit down and rest.

He Susu sat down and stretched her feet a little: "Fortunately, I wore leather shoes today. These shoes are quite comfortable to walk in. Otherwise, I really couldn't walk in the park."

Cheng Shi smiled and said, "As long as they are comfortable, I can buy another pair to wear in rotation next time."

"Let's talk about it later. I don't go out that often." He Susu said indifferently. Feeling the wind blowing, blowing the long hair on her shoulders, and because of the blue headband, her hair was not blown messy, it was quite comfortable.

Cheng Shi took out a wooden sculpture from his pocket and handed it over: "Susu, this is a decoration I carved by myself, for you. Happy birthday."

He Susu took it and was a little surprised: "How did you know today is my birthday?"

Cheng Shi smiled and said, "After I established a relationship with you, I asked my brother for some information about you. I always remembered that July 26th was your birthday. I was worried that I would not be able to make it back to accompany you because of the mission. Fortunately, I made it in time."

As for this wood carving, he had been carving it during his rest time and had completed it before going on the mission.

He Susu said happily: "I'm very happy that you remembered my birthday, so you specially asked me out today?"

She had guessed that Cheng Shi had done it on purpose to accompany her to the county town on her birthday, but she also thought that it might just be a coincidence and she shouldn't think too much about it. If you don't think too much, you won't be disappointed.

Now the unexpected turn of events has happened just as I had hoped, and the joy is surging in my heart exponentially.

Cheng Shi smiled and replied.

He Susu thought for a moment and asked, "When is your birthday? I didn't notice it before and didn't ask."

Cheng Shi said, "December 18th, it's still early." He was also looking forward to receiving the gift from Susu.

He Susu nodded heavily: "Okay, I'll remember it."

Only then did she turn her attention to the wood carving in her hand. Every part of the wood carving was carved very smoothly. It looked like a lesbian, wearing a short-sleeved top and long pants, with a single braid. The facial features were simply depicted but lifelike, and looked very familiar.

He Susu was already certain in her heart, but she still couldn't help asking, "Is this me?"

Cheng Shi nodded: "This is how I saw you when we first met."

When he was about to start carving the wood sculpture, he wanted to carve a smaller version of SuSu, thinking back to the many times they had spent time together, when they first met, when they were dating, when they were on a date, when they took a walk in the evening...

In the end, the most heart-warming moment still lingers on the moment we first met, so my hands followed my heart and carved the most beautiful picture in my memory.

He Susu looked carefully at the wood carving in her hand, and the more she looked, the more she felt that it resembled herself.

The end of the single braid is deliberately curled, as if blown by the wind. The round almond eyes, delicate nose, small mouth and even the curve of the corners of the mouth are so beautiful.

She said happily: "I like this wood carving very much. It is the best gift I have ever received. I will put it on my desk. This way, when I write articles, I can see it as soon as I look up."

Cheng Shi was happy to see that she liked it.

He had been thinking about it for a long time, vaguely knowing that this would be the best time, so he followed his heart and asked solemnly: "Susu, after spending this period of time together, I have become very clear about my heart. I wait for you downstairs of your house after training every day. The moment I see you, it seems that all my fatigue disappears. You are the direction of my efforts and the driving force for my progress. I really want to live with you."

"So Susu, will you marry me?"

He Susu roughly guessed what Cheng Shi wanted to say when he started talking about the first half of his sentence. She looked at him, whose handsome features could not be concealed even when he was serious, and did not stop him from continuing.

When she heard those words full of requests, He Susu's heart seemed to be soaking in a clear pond with bubbles constantly bubbling upwards, and it also seemed as if she was walking on clouds, floating in an unsure direction.

She imagined the scene of herself and the person in front of her spending the rest of her life together, and found that she was not opposed to it, and was even a little looking forward to it.

So He Susu nodded gently according to her heart, but the words she said were resounding: "Cheng Shi, I do."

Just as determined as when she agreed to date him in that office in the Women's Federation building.

After hearing his partner's answer, Cheng Shi finally let go of the worry that he had not raised even when facing life-threatening situations during missions. He suddenly smiled, took his partner's hand and held it tightly: "Susu, thank you for agreeing to give me this opportunity."

He is not a person who makes promises casually, but he will sincerely promise, "Don't worry, I will treat you well and will not let you down."

"I believe you." Two faint blushes inevitably appeared on He Susu's face.

After she calmed down a bit, she remembered the marriage process in the army and took the initiative to say, "Then you can submit the marriage report when you return."

Cheng Shi felt a little embarrassed when he heard this, and confessed directly: "Susu, I actually submitted a marriage report a long time ago, and the army has approved it. From the time we started dating, I have decided on you, and I just want to spend the rest of my life with you."

After being surprised, He Susu finally teased him, "Aren't you afraid that I won't agree?"

Cheng Shi said seriously: "If you don't agree, it means that I haven't done well enough to make you believe that I am willing to marry me. Then I will continue to work hard until you are satisfied."

He Susu then laughed out loud: "I am quite satisfied with this answer. I forgive you."

Cheng Shi finally felt relieved and talked about his plan at that time: "I submitted the marriage report earlier. One reason was that I was determined to marry you, so I thought it would be better to submit the marriage report earlier so that I could get the marriage certificate when I wanted. Another reason was that I thought I could apply for family housing with the marriage report. There were only one or two single-story houses with independent yards in the family area. With my level, I might be able to get one. Buildings are not as comfortable as houses with independent yards, and I thought you would prefer independent houses with yards."

If she could choose, He Susu would indeed prefer a detached house with a yard.

Although the building that my third brother has been assigned to is not bad, there are neighbors upstairs and downstairs. Not only will they disturb each other if they make too much noise, but if they cook more meat in the kitchen, people will know about it.

Not to mention the third sister-in-law, she would occasionally go out and meet other military wives and be asked: "Did your family eat meat again yesterday? Life is so comfortable. Young people are ignorant and should live frugally. Saving more money is the right way. You can't live so wastefully."

He Susu asked with some anticipation: "Did you get the application?"

Cheng Shi nodded: "I just received a notice before I went on the mission and was assigned. When I get back, I can ask someone to make furniture and prepare everything that needs to be prepared."

When you are ready, the next step is to get married.

He Susu thought subconsciously. Thinking that it would be where she would live in the future, she said, "Then you must prepare well. Don't save on what you shouldn't."

Cheng Shi smiled and said, "Okay, everything is up to you. Do you have any ideas?"

So, on this midsummer afternoon, by the lotus pond, He Susu imagined what her future house should have.

"First of all, there must be a large wardrobe in the room to store our clothes. There must also be a desk so that I can write articles. Then put a small dressing table next to the bed so that I can sit there and wipe my face and comb my hair."

"The bathroom should be decorated cleanly, with a mirror and a sink, all connected to faucets. As for the kitchen, although I don't cook much, we definitely need to cook at home, so a coal stove should be installed, with a sink and a chopping board next to it. Some wall cabinets can be installed for storing dry goods in the future, and one or two floor cabinets should also be built, like the ones in my brother's house."

"The living room will have a coffee table and chairs, a shoe cabinet near the door, and a suitable place for the dining table and chairs. You can decide on these. You can plant some osmanthus in the yard. It's too late this year, but the fragrance of osmanthus will surely be nice next Mid-Autumn Festival. You can also plant some peach and plum trees..."

Cheng Shi listened to her with a smile, and when he heard the word "our home", the corners of his mouth could not help but rise.

He wrote down everything carefully, and after He Susu finished speaking, he responded, "Okay, I will definitely do what you said. I'll take you there later, and if there are any new ideas, I can always help you."

He thought of his future father-in-law and mother-in-law whom he had never met: "Susu, it stands to reason that I should go home with you to visit my uncle and aunt before we get married, but I don't have enough vacation time this year and I don't have a long vacation to rest. The earliest I can have is during the Chinese New Year."

The marriage report had been approved long ago, the house had been allocated and he had to settle down, and he had just gotten his partner's nod of approval, so Cheng Shi naturally hoped to get married as soon as possible. But no matter how anxious he was, he was willing to give He Susu enough respect.

He smiled and said, "How about I go back to your home with you to visit your uncle and aunt during the Chinese New Year."

He Susu had an idea about this. Her parents wrote to her asking her to seize the opportunity and cherish this relationship. I think they also agreed with her getting married.

She said, "My third brother is my only relative in the army. You can visit him and sit down to talk to him about this matter. Let my third brother call and ask my parents for their opinions. Anyway, I will listen to them."

Cheng Shi understood what Susu meant and happily agreed.

The two of them sat in Friendship Park for quite a while. After talking about the important things, they simply stood up and held hands to walk around the rest of the park before leaving.

Cheng Shi was thinking about paying a formal visit to his future third uncle, so he took He Susu to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy things.

Cheng Shi bought the best Tieguanyin tea, honey collected from farmers, various cakes, apples, bananas, oranges, and other things suitable for gifts. If He Susu hadn't stopped him, he would have wanted to buy some cigarettes and alcohol.

He Susu: "My brother doesn't smoke or drink, why would he buy these?"

Cheng Shi said seriously: "Leave it here so that you can use it to exchange favors with others later."

He Susu smiled and shook her head: "It's not necessary. My brother might be unhappy to see these. The tea, cakes and fruits you bought are good enough."

Only then did Cheng Shi obey.

It was getting late, and after leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, they went to the parking lot and got in the car to go back to the army. Maybe because he was in a good mood, Cheng Shi whistled while driving, and he actually whistled a military song for him.

He Susu smiled as she looked at his tough profile. His expression was unrestrained and carefree, as if he had won the best thing in the world. He was full of youthful vigor and enthusiasm, and her heart also began to flutter.

Back downstairs at home, the things they bought were naturally picked up together when they came to visit. Cheng Shi got out of the car and opened the door for He Susu: "We're here, come down."

He Susu got off the bus and said with a smile, "I'm very happy today. I'll put the ornament you gave me in front of my desk when I get home. When my brother comes back, I'll tell him that you're coming to visit us tomorrow night."

It would definitely be more solemn to visit during the day, but there was no other way, as Cheng Shi and He Lianzhou were not free during the day and only had time at night.

Cheng Shi couldn't wait any longer, and thinking that it was Susu's birthday today and the family should get together, he said he would visit in the evening.

Cheng Shi smiled and agreed, reaching out to touch Su Su's soft hair: "Okay, go up."

"Then I'll really go upstairs. Bye." He Susu waved and turned to go upstairs.

When they got home, Su Yu saw her and teased her with a smile: "You're back so early? I thought you'd be back later."

"We went to Friendship Park after dinner, bought some things and came back." He Susu explained. She took out the wood carving from her pocket and showed it to Su Yu, "Sister-in-law, look, this is a wood carving that Cheng Shi personally carved for me. It depicts how I looked when he first saw me."

After listening to this, Su Yu sighed: "He is quite thoughtful. He remembered your birthday and specially took you out to play today."

After seeing the wood carving, he was even more amazed, "This wood carving is so good, I can recognize it at a glance that it is carved in your image. It must have remembered you very well in its heart, so it could carve you so lifelike."

He Susu smiled and nodded: "Yes, so I like it very much."

After showing it to her third sister-in-law, she returned to her room and placed the wood carving against the wall next to her desk, so that when she got tired of writing, she could look up and see it at any time.

The He family's dinner was naturally sumptuous. Su Yu thought that instead of making noodles, the whole family had to celebrate her sister-in-law's birthday, so she took out the good ingredients at home and cooked a table of dishes.

The whole family enjoyed the meal happily. He Lianzhou specially made some tea and raised his glass with it instead of wine, saying, "Today is a good day for Susu's birthday. I wish you all the best in the future."

Su Yu also raised the tea and said, "Yes, I wish Su Su good health and happiness forever."

Dabao and Erbao don't like to drink tea, so they held up the chrysanthemum water and said in a serious manner: "I wish my aunt to be happy every day and smile like a flower."

He Susu accepted the blessings and raised her glass to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Third Brother, Sister-in-law, and Dabao and Erbao. I hope we are all happy."

Everyone clinked glasses and happily drank tea or chrysanthemum water.

After dinner, He Susu found He Lianzhou and said, "Third brother, Cheng Shi and I went to the county town to play today. He proposed to me and I agreed. I just found out that he has already prepared the marriage report and approved it, and the house has been allocated. He will come to visit you this evening, so he asked me to tell you."